The Call
by Jamie Sommers
Summary: Story takes place during HSM. Troy is very upset about the way his father treated Gabriella in the Gym, so he decides to call her to apologize, but their conversation blossoms into something more than just an I'm sorry.


The call

The Call

By: Jamie Sommers

Email: 

Rated: PG

Synopsis: Set during HSM. Troy had felt horrible about the way his father treated Gabriella in the gymnasium earlier in the day, so he worked up his courage and called her. The story takes place immediately after the scene between Gabriella and Troy in the gym, and before their friends try to break them up.

The Call

Troy paced around his room with cell phone in hand. "Call her dude," he spoke out loud to himself. "Just pick up the phone and call her." He rolled his eyes and said, "You've already picked up the phone. See? You're halfway there. Now you just have to dial." He paced around his room and finally grunted in frustration. "Okay," he let out a deep breath then threw himself on his bed and covered his face with an oversized stuffed basketball. With his thumb he pressed the button that would instantly connect him with Gabriella. He bolted upright when he heard the first ring.

Gabriella was sitting on her bed writing in her diary when her phone rang and a familiar face appeared on its screen. "It's him." Taking a deep breath she answered her phone. "Hello."

"Hey. Gabriella. It's Troy. Uh…yeah, listen…Uh…" Stay cool dude, he told himself. Just tell her why you called. "I just wanted to apologize for my dad today. He's not usually like that."

Gabriella didn't care why he was calling, she was just glad that he did. "Its okay, Troy. You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yeah, I do. He wasn't very nice to you today."

"Well, I interrupted your practice."

"I think, he thinks, you interrupted my life." Troy regretted saying it the moment it came out of his mouth, and began moving anxiously around his room.

"Your life, huh?" Gabriella toyed with her pillow case and tried not to worry. This is where he tells me he's not singing with me, she convinced herself.

Troy tried his best to explain himself. "My dad's had this plan for my life, ya know? Star basketball player, college scholarship, go on to the pros… Big plans, but I don't think he pictured singing in there anywhere."

Gabriella attempted to make it easier on him, "We don't have to do the callbacks, Troy. I'll survive," she chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. "Besides, I'd probably faint before the first note anyway."

"What? No! No, that's not why I called," Troy panicked. "I really want to do them."

"It kinda sounds like you're changing your mind."

"I'm not. I said I'd do it, and I'm doing it. I don't care if the whole school has gone whack just because I'm doing something other than shooting hoops."

"They have gone a little nuts," she giggled.

"Tell me about it," Troy agreed. "Look, Gabriella, I'm not saying that it's gonna be easy, because trust me, it's not, but I want to do the callbacks with you. I really do. So if you're willing to take the heat, so am I, okay?"

"Okay," she smiled. "And don't worry about your dad; he's just concerned about your future. He's just being a dad."

The smile that had been on Troy's face quickly faded. "Actually, that guy you saw today in the gym wasn't my dad."

"What?" Gabriella was a little befuddled.

"That was _Coach Bolton_, not my dad."

Gabriella's eyes squinted in thought, "Actually, I think it's the other way around."

"What do you mean?" Troy asked.

"I don't think _any_ coach would show that kind of concern for a player, but a father would." She sat back against her headboard and put her feet up on her comforter. "Troy, your dad is just worried about your future. He just doesn't want you to forget your dreams."

"Actually, I think they're his dreams he doesn't want me to forget." Troy admitted his suspicion.

"Okay you're gonna have to explain that to me. _His_ dreams?"

"Yeah. See," Troy sat with his legs hanging off the side of his bed. "My dad used to be like me. He was the star of his basketball team, then he went off to college and while he was there he met my mom, and then I came along and his dreams were kind of put to the side."

"So you think he's trying to live his life vicariously through you?" Gabriella asked.

"I guess…Yeah." Troy hung his head down. "Sometimes I think that he's trying to make up for what he didn't get in his life."

"I don't think so Troy." Gabriella tried to ease his pain. "I think he's just trying to be a good dad, by thinking of your future."

"I don't know….Maybe." Troy laid back on his bed and closed his eyes.

"Why don't you ask him?" Gabriella suggested.

"Ask him what?"

"Ask him if he regrets not going for the pros when he was in college."

"Are you kidding me?" Troy's eyes flew open as he sat up in bed. "I couldn't ask him that. That would be like me asking him why he failed."

"No it wouldn't Troy. It would be you confronting your father on his plans for YOUR future. Look," she tried to make him understand where she was coming from. "Just go to him and ask him if coaching high school is what he planned for his life. Ask him about his dreams when he was your age." She stood up and walked towards her balcony, "Just talk to him."

"I don't know if I could do that Gabriella."

"You don't know if you can talk to your dad?" She had found that difficult to believe.

"Not like that. I don't know…" He began to pace around his room as he ran his hand through his hair turning it into a disheveled mess. "I always thought I could talk to him, but lately he's been treating me…like…like…"

"Like?" She urged.

"Differently." Troy picked up his basketball and studied it. "Okay, for example…the other day we're outside shootin' some hoops and I ask him, 'dad have you ever thought about trying something different?' and what does he assume I'm talking about?"

"Basketball?" Gabriella asked with a look of pity on her face.

"Yup. He says to me, 'you mean like going left?' I just wanted to scream GOING LEFT??" Troy sighed and shook his head. After a long pause he asked, "Am I letting everybody down Gabriella?"

"Oh Troy," she sighed. "I don't think so, but I can't answer that question for you. All I can do is tell you to be true to who you are. Personally, I think you're more than just the basketball guy."

"Yeah?" Troy blushed as he lied back down on his bed with one foot hanging off the edge. "What do you think I am?"

"Oh…" she smiled coyly towards the sky then closed her eyes and answered him honestly. "I think you're a sweet guy, who's afraid of what people might think of him if he steps out of his shell. I also think you're very talented, and smart, and… I've never met anyone like you before Troy," she admitted. "My whole life I've moved from place to place and I've never had a friend, I mean a real friend, and the moment I met you I knew that I had finally found one."

"Wow. Thanks." Troy's cheeks took on another shade of red as he listened to what she had to say.

"You're welcome."

He could hear her smile over the phone and it brightened his mood. "It's weird isn't it?"

"What's weird?" Her fingers played with a button on her shirt.

"How we just seemed to click like that. I mean…the minute I met you I just knew you were someone I could talk to. Like I could completely trust you with everything, ya know?"

"Yeah, I do." She said sweetly.

"Are we crazy Gabriella? I mean, do people really feel like this? Can this actually happen?"

"I don't think we're crazy. I think we're just following our instincts. Most people probably shy away from that, but we didn't and now we…" she let her sentence trail off.

"Yeah," he knew what she meant, "it's pretty cool having someone like you to confide in. I could never imagine talking to Chad the way I talk to you."

"At least you have a Chad. I've never had anyone."

"No one??"

"Nope. Well…I think Taylor may be becoming that kind of friend, and…hmmm…" Gabriella wondered aloud, "Do teachers count?"

"Hey, a friend is a friend no matter what form they come in. So yeah, teachers count."

"Well in that case, I've had two friends in my life: my mom, and my last math teacher."

"You'd consider your mom a friend?" Troy had always thought of his mom as just that, his mom.

"Yeah, don't you?" Gabriella couldn't imagine life without her mother's friendship.

"No. She's my mom." Troy thought about it for a minute then said, "I used to think of my dad as a friend, but lately he hasn't been a very good one." After a brief second he followed up with, "He hasn't been a very good father or coach lately either."

She could hear the pain in his voice. "Give him a break Troy. He's just trying to figure things out. Kind of like you."

"I guess, but does he have to be such a…jerk…" he said under his breath "…about it?"

"That's not nice Troy," Gabriella hid a smile under her hand.

"I know. I know."

Hearing the sound of his spirit deflating, she decided to change the subject. "So tell me about East High. Anyone I should be avoiding?"

Without hesitation Troy said, "Sharpay Evans. That girl is scary." He said with a smile.

"Great," Gabriella sighed. "I've already made an enemy out of the scariest girl in school."

Troy laughed then added, "Nah. You didn't make an enemy out of her. In fact…I'd say she's probably scared of you. I mean…you _are_ going to get her part in the musical."

"Oh you think so?"

"Yup. I know so." Troy smiled as his mind quickly flashed back to Miss. Darbus telling them they had a callback and the sound of Gabriella's voice soaring through the auditorium.

"And who do you suppose my leading man will be?" She said mischievously.

"Oh Ryan Evans has that locked up, I'm sure." He laughed. "He's got it in the bag."

She laughed and said, "Oh I don't think so."

"Me either." Troy smiled as he said, "We're gonna give those Evans' a run for their money, you and me."

Gabriella's heart felt like it was about to burst with joy. "I think so too."

With that topic closed, Troy sat on the edge of his bed, with his elbows on his knees. "So tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?" Gabriella walked to the edge of her bed and ran her hand along the spread then leaned on one of the bed's four posters.

"I don't know. Everything," Troy laughed.

"That's a lot of info." Gabriella teased.

"Yeah…" his face took on a rosy glow.

"Well…I was born in California, but I don't remember it at all because we moved before I was one."

"What's the first thing you can remember?"

"Hmmm," Gabriella thought for a moment. "Kindergarten."

"Really?"

"Yup. I remember the teacher telling my mom that I was reading at a seventh grade level and that I should go to special classes."

"You're kidding me? You could read in kindergarten? I think the only thing I could do back then was play with toy trucks and take a nap." Troy laughed.

Gabriella giggled as she said, "I wish."

"What do you mean? I'd think it'd be cool to be that smart at such a young age."

"Yeah. Right." Gabriella rolled her eyes, "I was alienated at a very early age. It was great," she said dryly.

Troy raised his eyebrows and said, "I guess I've never thought of it that way."

"While all the other kids were playing make believe I was reading books by Mark Twain, and writing reports."

"What?? Writing like…book reports??" Troy was shocked at how smart Gabriella actually was.

"Yup," she confessed. "I was a geek all the way back then."

"Hey," he comforted her the best way he could. "You're not a geek."

She lifted her eyebrows and said, "Uh…yes I am. You're just in denial." She chuckled as she went on. "Anyway. The kids used to pick on me back then, but it didn't matter because my mom's job transferred her to Nevada, and that was the first summer I moved. As a matter of fact…my mom has moved us for the past five summers straight. Sadly I think it's becoming a tradition."

"Wow. That sucks." Troy began to worry that she would be leaving at the end of the school year. "I hope you don't have to move this year."

Gabriella's eyes smiled as she heard the concern in Troy's voice. "Nope. I won't."

"Seriously??" Troy asked in a high pitched voice.

Gabriella giggled at his excitement and said, "My mom swore that we wouldn't move until I've graduated from high school."

"What a relief." Troy's eyes flew opened as he realized what he had said. "Uh…I mean…for you. What a relief for you."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip trying to hold back the smile that wanted to take over her face. "Yeah, it'll be a relief not to pack my room again."

"Plus, by the time you graduate, you won't have to follow your mom around. You can just go to college and be on your own."

"I guess." Her nose wrinkled up as she thought of leaving her mom.

"Doesn't the thought of being on your own excite you?"

Gabriella thought about it for a moment then said, "No. Not really." She picked up a picture of her mother and looked at it. "I like living with my mom. I hate moving, but my mom's doing the best she can. She's always given me a beautiful home, good food to eat…I don't know…everything." Gabriella thought for a moment then added, "I think she's trying to make up for me not having my dad in my life."

Troy wondered where her dad was and why he wasn't in the picture, but he was hesitant in asking her so he just beat around the bush. "So uh…your dad? Umm…."

"Where is he?" Gabriella finished his question for him.

"Yeah."

"He died when I was little and my mom never remarried. As a matter of fact, she's never even gone out on a date."

"Really?"

"Yup. I asked her once why she didn't date and she said that my father was the love of her life and she'd never find that again, so why bother."

"Wow. I can't imagine loving someone like that. Can you?"

"Well of course I can," Gabriella feigned shock. "Don't you know that all girls dream of being loved that way?"

"Well I do now," Troy teased. After a moment Troy asked, "Do you remember him…your father?"

"Not really. No. Sometimes I see him in my dreams, but that's about it."

"How old were you when he…uh…"

"When he died?"

"Yeah."

"Almost four years old."

"What happened? I mean, how'd he die?"

"My mom said it was his heart, but I don't know the exact reason."

"Hey Gabriella," Troy thought for a moment. "Does it bother you talking about it?"

"Not really. I mean, I don't really know him, or remember him, but I do feel bad for my mom. I think she needs someone in her life."

"It sounds like she's still in love with your dad to me."

"Yeah," Gabriella set her mom's picture down and picked up the wedding photo of her mother and father. "Who can argue with true love?"

"Certainly not me," Troy stated.

"So," Gabriella put the picture down and said, "Tell me something about you."

"Like what?"

"Mmmm, I don't know." Taking a cue from what he had said earlier she replied, "Everything."

Troy's smile lit up his face as he began. "Okay…I'm a guy. I've got sandy brown hair and blue eyes. Oh and I just recently found out that I can sing. Who knew?" Troy joked.

Gabriella giggled at his lightheartedness. "Okay, how about…movies? What's your favorite movie?"

"That's easy. Rocky."

"Rocky? Really?" This came as kind of a surprise to her.

"Yup. Oh and Die Hard. Awesome Bruce Willis movie."

Gabriella laughed and said, "I'd have to agree with that one. That's a good movie."

"The whole trilogy rocked. So how 'bout you? What's your favorite movie?"

Gabriella didn't even have to think about it, "A Walk to Remember. I totally love that movie."

"Never heard of it."

"What? You've got to be kidding me?"

"Nope. What's it about?" Troy laid back on his bed and put his hand behind his head.

"It's about a preacher's daughter that falls in love with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks and she shows him that there's more to life than…."

She rambled on and on until he cut her off, "Hey. Don't give it all away. I may want to see it one day. Who's in it?"

"Mandy Moore and Shane…"

"Say no more," he held up his hand. "Mandy Moore is in it, then I _must_ see it."

Gabriella laughed again and said, "You are too funny, but I'm holding you to that Troy Bolton."

"Good. It's a date," Troy realized what he had said and quickly tried to recover from his blunder. "So…uh…you uh…" It was useless.

_Date?_ Gabriella heart palpitated at the thought. Sensing the nervous tone in his voice she decided to give him a break. "What do you say you come over here one day after school and we can watch it?"

Troy pulled the phone away from his face, covered the mouthpiece with his hand and said, "Yes!" Quickly putting the phone back to his ear he said, "So…yeah. Cool. Just say when and I'm there."

After a moment's thought she suggested, "We should probably wait until after the callbacks and your big game."

"Okay, but I don't want to wait too long. I really like Mandy Moore," he joked. After a brief silence he asked her, "favorite color?"

"Don't have one."

"You don't have a favorite color?" He was surprised at this.

"There are too many to choose from, so I figure, why pick just one color."

"That actually makes sense."

"How 'bout you?" Gabriella loved this game of 20 questions they were playing and didn't want to stop. "What's your favorite color?"

"I'm all about the red, white and gold."

"School colors?" This didn't surprise her in the slightest.

"_Wildcat_ colors," he corrected.

"Favorite song?" She asked.

"Hmmm…" he thought about it for a minute then said, "I can't seem to get that song out of my head that we sang the other day. You know...the one Ryan and Sharpay butchered?"

Gabriella's laugh echoed through the phone.

"I honestly don't know why they messed with it. It was perfect the way Kelsi wrote it," Troy said.

"I know," she quickly agreed. "It's really pretty isn't it?"

"Yeah. That girl has got some _major_ talent." Troy was amazed that someone could sit at a piano and create a song out of thin air.

"You should tell her that. I'd bet she'd appreciate it."

Troy thought about it for a second then said, "Maybe I will." Next time he went to rehearsal, he thought, I'm gonna tell Kelsi how talented she was.

Troy's dad knocked on his bedroom door then quickly entered. "Hey. Wanna call the guys and get a game going?"

Troy yanked the phone away from his ear and said, "Uh…I'm kind of busy right now dad."

"Busy?"

"Yeah, but maybe tomorrow."

His father noticed the cell phone Troy was trying to hide and knew immediately who he was talking to. With a disgruntled look on his face he said, "The team needs you Troy."

Troy sighed and said, "I know dad, but we don't need to practice 24/7."

His father's voice quickly shifted from that of a fun loving father to a discontented coach. "No one said you had to practice 24/7, but you should make up for the missed practice today."

"Okay dad." Knowing it would be easier to give in than to argue with him, Troy agreed to setting up a game after he was off of the phone.

"Sorry 'bout that," he apologized to Gabriella when he got back on the phone. "My dad decided that I need to call the guys and set up a game to make up for missing practice today."

"Oh…" Gabriella tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. "If you have to go then that's okay."

"No. No. I told him I'd call them after I'm off of the phone with you. So talk away Miss Montez." Troy put all thoughts of a basketball game to the back of his mind then said, "how about food? What's your favorite food?"

"My mom's brownies. They are _awesome_!"

"Oh _reeeeeeally_," he said with a scheming tone in his voice.

"Yup. They're all gooey and chocolately and…oh they're just nummy."

"Any chance of me scoring some of those when I come over to watch that movie?"

"I'll see what I can do. I do have connections with the chef," she giggled. "What's your favorite food?"

"My dad's barbequed ribs. Oh man they are wicked."

"Wicked, huh?"

"Yup. Though I usually burn my mouth on them."

"Why? Are they spicy?" She asked.

Troy laughed embarrassingly, "Because I grab them off the grill and start chowin' down before they can cool off."

Gabriella laughed as she imagined him with a face full of barbeque sauce.

"Next time he makes 'em, you can come over and taste what I'm talking about," Troy invited.

"Uh…I don't think so Troy." Gabriella appreciated the sentiment, but thought better of being in the company of Coach Bolton again.

"Why not?" Troy sounded thoroughly disappointed.

"The last thing your dad wants to see is my face hanging around his house. It's bad enough he has to see me at school."

"Nah, he was just upset with me. He didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Mmmmm," she said with a questioning tone. "I don't know Troy…"

"I swear. The next time you meet my dad, things'll be different. You'll see," he said matter of factly though he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or Gabriella.

"Okay, I'll think about it. I'm not promising anything though."

They talked for what seemed like a lifetime. She telling him about her favorite author, and he telling her about his favorite basketball player. They shared childhood stories, embarrassing moments and favorite school subjects. Gabriella's being math and Troy's being basketball, of course.

"Troy?" Gabriella said quietly.

"Yeah."

Gabriella was hesitant before asking him the same question she had asked Taylor a few days before. "Did you ever feel like there's someone else inside of you that's dying to come out? Someone no one else sees?"

"I never used to, but then the weirdest thing happened to me. I sang this song with a girl, cute girl at that, on New Year's Eve and my whole world turned upside-down."

Gabriella blushed at his "cute" comment. "I'm serious."

"Me too." Troy stood up and began to walk around his room. "Gabriella, I never in a million years thought about singing. In fact, if you had told me a few months ago that I'd be holding my breath, waiting for the results of an audition; I'd have thought you were crazy. Yet here I am…waiting…anxiously, to sing with you again, and hopefully get the lead in the school's musical." Troy stopped in his tracks and said, "I _cannot_ believe those words just came out of my mouth."

Gabriella smiled and sat on the edge of her bed. "So, your friends are losing it over this, huh?"

"My friends…my dad…the whole school's treating me differently, but I don't really care, ya know? This is just something I really wanna do."

"Me too. I can honestly say that I've never felt so…I don't know…free maybe. When I sing with you it's like I'm someone else entirely and I really like that girl."

Troy blushed and said shyly, "I like her too."

Gabriella smiled into the phone and said, "You do?"

"Well…uh…yeah."

"I'm glad." Gabriella could feel her heart beating through her chest, but she took a chance and said, "She likes you too."

They sat for a brief moment, taking in what the other had said.

"This is completely crazy," Troy broke the silence. "I mean…we just met and it's like I've known you all my life."

"I know," she agreed. "I feel like I can tell you anything."

"So tell me something."

Gabriella scrunched up her nose and said, "I've already told you a ton of stuff."

"No that's not what I mean. I mean…tell me something you wouldn't tell anyone else."

Gabriella thought for a moment then said, "I've never been kissed."

"What?" Now this is a shocker, Troy thought to himself. The girl was like the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and she'd never been kissed?? Silently he wished he could be the one that solved that dilemma for her.

"Seriously, I've never been kissed before. Well, not by a boy at least. My mom kisses me all the time, but that doesn't count. How about you? Ever been kissed before?"

"Uh…yeah…sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Well I've always been into sports; never really had time for girls, but there was one once." Troy could not believe he was admitting this to her.

"Once…when?"

In a muffled voice he said, "sfmmth grmmmd."

"What was that?" Gabriella giggled into the phone.

"Sixth grade," he said with an embarrassed grin on his face. "But to be fair, she _was_ an older woman."

"Oh really? How much older?"

"She was a seventh grader."

Gabriella let out a deep belly laugh and said, "I'd better watch out for you, player."

"That's right. Didn't you know…I'm a ladies man?" Troy chuckled into the phone. "A pathetic ladies man, but hey…" he trailed off as he listened to Gabriella laugh though the phone.

"You are so funny, Troy."

"Thanks. I'll be here all week."

Gabriella continued to laugh until it finally ended on a sigh. "It's your turn now."

"My turn?"

"Mmm hmmm. Tell me something you'd never tell anyone else."

"Okay." He thought for a moment then said, "I'm not sure about basketball being my dream. I mean I totally love it, but I just don't know if I can see myself doing this for the rest of my life. Okay…that's another thing I'd _never_ thought I'd say."

"So why do you think you feel this way now?"

"I don't know. Maybe because for the first time in my life, I can see beyond the bleachers and…" he said quietly, "I really like what I see."

"Tell me what you see."

Without hesitation he said, "Possibilities."

Troy's father opened up his bedroom door and looked at Troy lying back on his bed, then tapped his watch as if to say, let's get a move on.

Troy said, "Hold on a minute," to Gabriella, and pulled the phone away from his ear. "Dad," he sighed. "We'll do the game tomorrow okay? Today..." he looked away from his dad and sat on the edge of his bed. "I've got plans today," he stated.

His father gave him a look of disappointment, and without saying a word, he closed the bedroom door.

Troy put the phone back up to his ear and said, "Okay. I'm back."

Gabriella quickly interjected, "Troy if you have to go then…"

"No. I'm not going anywhere. I told my dad we'd play ball tomorrow, but today…" he smiled. "…I've got other plans."

Gabriella smiled shyly and asked, "Are you sure, Troy? It's okay if you have to go, ya know."

"I'm positive. Why? Do you want to hang up?" He wondered.

"No. I just don't want you to get in trouble again."

"Don't worry about it Gabriella. If my dad gives me any grief, I'll just tell my mom and she'll take care of him for me."

The playful tone in his voice lifted the guilt off of her shoulders. "Okay. No worries."

"Good. Now back to your first kiss."

Gabriella laughed and said, "What first kiss?"

"That's my point," he teased. "I know a few guys that might volunteer for the duty. How about…hmmm…"

"Oh this is so not funny Troy," she laughed.

"Shhh. Quiet. I'm thinking. Oh. I've got it. Billy Wyler."

"Okay, who's Billy Wyler?"

"Skater dude. Nice enough guy, but not very smart so…nope. Nope he won't do." Troy scratched his chin and thought again. "I've got it. Jonathon Jessup. He's brilliant!"

The name sounded familiar to Gabriella and when it finally dawned on her who he was talking about she quickly protested. "The 12 year old freshman? Uh…no thank you."

"Why not. He's smart, cute…in a Doogie Howser kind of way."

"And definitely not my type." Gabriella shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You have a sick sense of humor, Troy."

"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment." He chuckled. "Okay how about this… I know a guy. He's a jock, but he's not a _dumb_ jock. He enjoys movies, music, sports…" Troy looked in the mirror and said, "He's not bad looking either."

"Mmmm," Gabriella was hoping from the bottom of her heart that he was talking about himself. "I guess that depends."

"On what?"

"Does he have much experience in the kissing department?" She asked coyly. "I don't want some guy that gets around you know."

Troy blushed in the mirror and said softly, "I think he may have kissed a girl once or twice…_once_."

Gabriella could feel her pulse pounding with excitement. Just as she was about to tell Troy she'd like to meet this guy, her mother called out to her, "Gabriella?? Gabriella??"

"Hold on Troy." Gabriella reluctantly put the phone down. "I'm up here mom." She walked to her bedroom door and opened it up. "In my room, mom."

"Oh. Okay. The whole house was dark and I was worried," her mother said as she walked up the stairs. "I'm sorry I'm so late. Let me change and we'll go pick something up for dinner."

Gabriella had forgotten about the plans she had made with her mother tonight. "Mom," she quickly called out. "You look really tired. Why don't we do it another night?"

"Don't be silly," her mother said. "Just give me a minute."

"Oh," she said dejectedly. "Okay, then I guess I'll just get ready." She turned back into her room and picked up her phone. "Troy?"

"Yeah."

"I have to go."

Troy worried that he had gone too far with the kissing thing so he asked, "Was it something I said?"

"No," she eased his mind. "My mom just came home and we have to go out for dinner."

"Oh…uh…okay."

Gabriella's mother heard her daughter's muffled voice coming through the wall and walked down the hallway to try and listen in.

"I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow then?" Gabriella asked.

"Definitely."

"Troy, I really am sorry about your dad today. I hope things work out with him."

"I'm sure they will."

The moment Gabriella's mother heard the name Troy she opened up the bedroom door and said, "Gabi, do you think it would be okay if we put this off until tomorrow night? I really _am_ tired."

Gabriella pulled the phone away from her ear and said with a little bit too much enthusiasm, "Oh! Sure!! I mean if you're tired and all."

Her mother tried to hide the smile that was forming and said, "I'm sure."

"Great!" Gabriella's face quickly went from one of enthusiasm to one of guilt. "I mean…not that you're being tired is great…"

Her mother could no longer hold in the smile and gestured with her chin to the phone. "Who you talking to?"

"Umm…Troy Bolton," Gabriella blushed and looked away.

"Troy Bolton, huh?" Her mother raised her eyebrows and said, "How about we just order a pizza?"

Gabriella's smile beamed across the room as she said, "Ham and pineapple?"

"You got it," her mother agreed and closed the door.

Gabriella jumped on her bed in a girlie like motion, and then said into the phone, "Change of plans. Mom's too tired to go out so we're ordering in instead."

"Cool," Troy said with an excited tone in his voice. "Does that mean you don't have to hang up?"

"Yup."

"Awesome." Troy suddenly realized something, "I think this is the longest phone call I've had…ever."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Guys don't really talk on the phone for long periods of time. We just make our plans, say what's up and hang up."

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a phone call longer than five minutes before either. Not a social one at least."

"Uh…what other kinds of calls are there?"

"Informational," she said innocently.

"Like movie times?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

"No, like info on homework and stuff." Gabriella played with a stuffed animal she had sitting on the bed and said, "I used to run the homework helper line at my last school."

"Oh." Troy thought for a moment then said with an inquisitive look in his eye, "Seriously?" He thought only teachers did that.

"Mmmm hmmm," she answered.

"Wow. You really are smart aren't you?"

"I guess so," Gabriella said with a touch of embarrassment in her voice.

"No. No." Troy instantly knew that he made her feel ashamed of her knowledge. "I think that's totally cool. I mean, I've never known anyone as smart as you and you're not like a total…you know."

"Geek? Dork? Nerd?" Gabriella said light heartedly. "Pick your name."

"I didn't mean it that way Gabriella."

"I know that. I was just teasing, but its okay. I don't mind being a geek. I mean, it's better than being a complete outcast or a loner. Although…" she thought for a moment then said, "I actually think that's what I was at my last school. I actually filled the criteria for three different stereotypes." Instead of feeling depressed, she chuckled at the thought of how different her life was now.

"You should totally be in the Guinness Book of Records," Troy joked.

"Tell me about it." She agreed.

Troy's mother popped her head into his room and said, "Dinner in thirty," closing the door as quickly as she opened it.

"Who was that?" Gabriella asked after hearing a muffled female voice.

"My mom."

"Did your dad send her in there?"

"Nah. She just wanted to let me know that we'll be having dinner in a half an hour."

"Ahh. So I guess we know when we'll have to get off the phone, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Troy said, "So we'd better make this last thirty minutes count."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" She smiled as she walked out onto the balcony of her bedroom.

"Hmmm?" he thought for a minute then said, "Okay, I've got it."

"Is _it_ contagious?" She giggled.

"Ha ha ha," he said before chuckling at her joke.

"I'm sorry," the tone in her voice turned serious. "Go ahead and tell me what you were going to say."

"Well I was gonna ask you about your past boyfriends."

"Troy…" she rolled her eyes. "If I've never been kissed before than what makes you think that I've had boyfriends. And besides," she grinned, "what's the fascination with my love life?"

Troy's eyes flew open wide and darted back and forth. "Uh…no…I'm not uh…I'm not fascinated with your love life or anything. I was just curious about your past and stuff."

"Ahh…okay." She lifted the corner of her mouth in a grin and said, "Well I'm curious about yours, so tell me…what's up with you and Sharpay Evans? How long ago did you date her?"

Troy choked as he said, "Wha…Sharpay?? Oh you've got to be kidding me??"

Gabriella laughed so hard her stomach hurt. "I'm just kidding Troy."

"Geez Gabriella, that's not funny. That girl scares the…b'jesus out of me." He said with a semi frightened look on his face.

"The _b'jesus_ huh?"

"I can't tell you how long she's been pestering me. It's bordering on creepy."

"Yeah, I kinda got the feeling that she had a crush on you."

Troy shook as though he were chilled to the bone. "Ewww, don't even kid about that. That's the most horrifying thought…ewww."

"I'm not kidding. She kept asking me how I knew you the other day and she glares at me every time we're together."

"You're imagining things Gabriella." Troy truly hoped she was anyway.

"No I'm not. You just said yourself that she's been after you for…how long??"

"Okay, you know what? I seriously don't want to spend the last few minutes we have together, talking about Sharpay Evans. I don't want to spend _any_ minutes talking about Sharpay Evans. Ever!"

Gabriella smiled demurely, "what _do_ you want to talk about?"

Troy quickly put Sharpay out of his mind and smiled with his eyes, "Do you know that being with you on New Year's Eve was the best time I had my entire vacation?"

"Really?" Her heart seemed to swell with hope as she awaited his answer.

"Yeah, really." Troy sat on his bed then let his head fall back. With his arm draped over his eyes, he said, "I couldn't stop thinking about you after we left the next day."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you either."

"I wanted to call you so badly, but I thought you'd have forgotten about me and I just …I don't know. I guess I was nervous.

"I looked for you that whole day, and when I went back to my room my mother asked me what was wrong." She paused before adding, "I was really upset that I didn't get to see you again."

"Me too."

"I just knew that you and I had more to say to each other, like our conversation was left unfinished and it really bothered me." She quietly admitted to him.

"So why didn't you call me?"

"Because, you forgot to put your number in with your picture, on my cell."

"Are you kidding me?" Troy squeezed his eyes shut and said, "I am an idiot."

"Yeah ya are." She smiled. "I even wrote about you in my diary."

"Get out of here? Are you serious?"

""Mmmm hmm."

"That's funny because I uh…I actually wrote about you in my journal too."

"You keep a journal," she said with a surprised tone in her voice.

"Well…you know…a blog, but...but that's not where I wrote about you."

"Oh? Then where did you write about it?"

"I kind of started a private journal on my computer." He wasn't quite sure how to explain it to her, so he just opted for the truth. "You see, I really needed to talk to somebody about all of this stuff that was goin' on, but there was no one I could talk to and I thought you'd probably think I was crazy if I called you, so I just started writing about it." He rambled.

"Has it helped? Writing about it?"

"Yeah, actually. It has."

Gabriella wondered. "So do you still write in there?"

"Yup. You?"

"Almost everyday." She answered.

Troy's curiosity got the better of him. He wondered if she wrote about him, about their singing together, about her dreams…desires…"So…like what do you write about?"

She wanted nothing more than to tell him everything, but she was scared…nervous, so she just said, "Um, that's private Troy. That's why it's called a diary."

"Come on…I'll tell you what I wrote about, if you tell me," he taunted her playfully.

"Mmmm," she questioned. "I don't know."

"Okay, how about you just tell me a little teeny weenie bit." He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped that she'd share just a little of what was inside of her secret world.

"Okay." Her smile was hesitant, but she cautiously agreed. "But only a little bit."

"Seriously," he sat up in bed. "I didn't think you would," he thought out loud.

"Well I figured you'd keep my secrets safe."

"I wouldn't tell a sole Gabriella," his voice got serious. "You know that right?" He said a quick vow of secrecy to himself. I won't tell anyone what you confide in me Gabriella.

Her heart seemed to sigh as she said, "Yeah. I know Troy." Deep inside she knew this for certain.

"If you want I'll tell you what I wrote about first."

"Sure. Go ahead." She was just as curious about his inner most thoughts as he was hers.

"Well…today I was pretty upset about how my dad treated you so I wrote about that, and how he's really frustrating me lately."

"I wrote about your dad too. And…" she wasn't sure if she should finish what she was going to confess.

"And?" He urged her on.

Gabriella took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Well I kind of heard him saying some things to you after I left the gym and it made me feel really bad for you…that I got you in trouble and all."

He felt horrible that Gabriella had to hear his father's remarks about her. Troy could hear his father calling her "_that girl_" in a tone that caused him to be deeply ashamed. "Aww Gabriella. I'm so sorry you had to hear that."

"It's okay. I wasn't trying to hear it or anything. It just sort of happened." After Troy's father told her she had to leave the gym she raced for the door, but on the other side of the gymnasium doors she stopped and put her hand against her heart. She had needed a moment to catch her breath, but instead she heard Troy and his father's remarks to one another.

"So what exactly did you hear?"

"Just him talking about how I've caused trouble for you since coming to East High…you know, with detention and all." She toyed with a feather that had floated onto her balcony's railing. "And I heard you tell him that I was very nice." Her cheeks burned bright.

"That's because you _are_ nice." Troy smiled.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I think you're nice too."

Troy cleared his throat and went out on a limb by admitting, "Gabriella…I'm so glad you're here. I am _so_ glad your mom got transferred here."

"Me too," she confessed.

"It's so weird. I mean…That first night. I hardly knew you, but I couldn't stop thinking about you and after we left the resort I…" Letting out a gust of air, he confessed, "I missed you."

"She closed her eyes and let her head fall backwards. "I missed you too. In fact, that was the topic of one of my diary entries."

"Really?" Troy began to feel his stomach churn and his palms get sweaty. Never had he felt nerves like this.

"Yeah, really," she admitted. Gabriella couldn't believe the things she was saying to Troy. In all her life, she could never tell anyone her true feelings about things, yet alone a boy, but Troy was different. For some reason she knew she could trust him with her secrets.

Their voices got softer as they spoke to one another. They were going beyond the bonds of friendship, and they knew it, yet neither one wanted to stop it. They welcomed the comforts and security the other provided.

"I don't think I've ever felt this way before Gabriella." Troy admitted.

"Me either."

Troy made a fist and closed his eyes as he shared more of himself with her. "You make me feel like I can do anything. I mean…I would've never stood up to my dad or anyone like that before, but since meeting you, I think…no" he could feel his heart racing as he stood up and walked across the floor of his room. "I know I can accomplish anything I set my mind to."

"You can Troy. You can." She encouraged him.

"You make me believe that Gabriella. You really do."

She smiled softly and opened up to him, "you make me believe in fairy tales Troy. Like anything can happen. And I have never felt that way in my whole life." With her hand over her heart she said, "I feel like meeting you was a…" she let her sigh fly into the dim sky, "…meeting you was like a gift." She paused before adding "Thank you so much for not pretending to be something you're not when you're with me."

"No. Thank you for letting me be who I really am Gabriella." With his head resting against the wall, he said throatily, "you're the gift."

"Troy?" His mother opened his bedroom door and said, "I need you to set the tabl…you're still on the phone?"

Troy startled at his mom's entrance and quickly turned away from her so she couldn't see his face. "Yeah, mom. I'll be down in a minute okay?"

She gave him a knowing look then said, "Okay."

Troy's father began to walk towards his bedroom as his mother walked out of it. "Is he still on the phone with _that girl_?" He said with a tone identical to the one he had used earlier at the school.

His mother put her hand on his father's arm as it reached out for Troy's doorknob. "Leave him alone. He'll be down shortly."

"Yeah but," his father tried to argue.

"But nothing," his mother said. "Just leave him be." She stared him down until he finally released the doorknob.

"I have to go," Troy whispered to Gabriella.

"I know." She could see the pizza delivery pull into her driveway. "Me too," she said sadly.

"I don't want to hang up," he admitted.

"Me either, but we do have to eat sometime." She tried to lighten up the mood that had grown so serious between them. "You've got a game you need to get in shape for, and a healthy diet is part of that Mr. Bolton."

"Yes, mom," he teased.

They both listened to the other's uneasy breathing.

Ending the deafening silence, Gabriella whispered, "Goodnight Troy."

Troy responded with a soft, "Goodnight Gabriella."

With the push of a button the conversation was over.

Troy sighed as he leaned his back up against his wall and said, "Wow." He looked down at the ground then at the phone in the palm of his hand and said hoarsely, "wow." Deep within he knew he would never be the same again.

He walked down the stairs, without a care in the world, to set the dinner table. As he took the plates out of the cupboard and placed them on the dining room table he began to hum, never once noticing the grin on his mother's face, and the scowl on his father's.

Later that night both Gabriella and Troy went to their journals to confide in them once again.

"He called me," Gabriella wrote.

"Gabriella Montez is nothing short of amazing," Troy added to his recent journal entry.

Anticipation hung in the air as they both awaited the ring of their alarm clocks the next morning. What would the day bring for them now that they had confided their innermost thoughts to one another? They had no clue, but they couldn't wait to find out. Neither one of them knowing what their "_friends_" had in store for them that day, and how it would change the course of their relationship forever.


End file.
